Land of Lost Socks, a Children’s Musical by Jane Tesh Music & Lyrics by Joni Klein-Higger

Jane Tesh’s new children’s musical, Land of Lost Socks, with music and lyrics by Joni Klein-Higger, is a total delight. My only complaint is it’s listed as 25 minutes run time – shorter than I want, and you’ll want more, too. The story idea is simple: Joel wants to be with big brother Bart, who wants to hang out with his friends -- without Joel tagging along. When Bart tells Joel to “Get lost,” whoosh, he does.

Joel ends up in the Land of Lost Socks, and, well, lost everything. There are lost socks, keys, hats, umbrellas, shoes, overdue library books, Atlantis (the Lost Continent), and even worse -- lost people. We meet the famous lost pilot, Amelia Earhart, the Dares from The Lost Colony of Colonial times, and even the Mayans! 

In Song#3: “Flying, the Ensemble sings of Amelia:

THOUGH YOU MAY BE GONE

YOUR DREAMS STILL LIVE ON

FOR YOU WERE FLYING HIGHER

THAN ANYONE THOUGHT YOU COULD

Joni Klein-Higger was kind enough to share three of the songs with me and they are wonderful. They present more history snippets in one of the best ways for children to learn – through music. These are toe-tapping, hop and dance along with tunes that will please performers and audiences alike. Although I can’t share the music in this review, here are some lyrics to give you a sneak peek:

Song #4 : “No One’s Found Out”

THE DARE FAMILY SINGS:

FROM THE SHORES OF ENGLAND

WE DID TRAVEL ‘CROSS THE SEA

TO A BRAVE NEW WORLD

THE FIRST TRUE COLONISTS WERE WE

BUT A STRANGE THING HAPPENED

POOF! ONE DAY WE ALL WERE GONE

JUST A WORD CARVED ON A TREE

IS ALL THAT CARRIES ON

WAS IT WAR

WAS IT DROUGHT

OR NATIVE AMERICANS

NO ONE’S FOUND OUT

ANASAZIS SING:

AH, AH, AH

AH, AH, AH

WE’RE THE ANASAZIS

FROM AMERICA WE CAME

OUR VILLAGES WERE EPIC

OUR GREAT CULTURE WAS OUR FAME

BY THE SANDSTONE CANYONS

WE DID DWELL AND FLOURISH, TOO

BUT WE DISAPPEARED

WE LEAVE OUR MYSTERY TO YOU

WAS IT WAR

WAS IT DROUGHT

WHY WE DISAPPEARED

NO ONE’S FOUND OUT

These lost folks share their stories with Joel, but no one has any idea about getting “un-lost” and going home. Since it’s a children’s musical, there is a happy ending. Still, it does give you pause to imagine a place where our lost things from this world find each other in another world.

This musical is sure to be a hit wherever it is performed. There are many parts for children to play, the scenery is simple, but effective, it helps history to come alive, and the music will keep things jumping and moving along smartly. There are some life lessons here that will resonate with children and parents:

BART, JOEL, TUBE, ARGYLE, DARES, MAYANS ,

ANASAZIS SING:

WHAT A HAPPIER PLACE

THIS WORLD WOULD BE

OH, WOULDN’T IT BE FINE

ENSEMBLE SINGS:

WHEN WE RESPECT ONE ANOTHER,

ARE CAREFUL WHAT WE DO AND SAY

WE’LL MAKE A BETTER TOMORROW

WHY, WE COULD EVEN BRIGHTEN THE DARKEST

DAY

COME ON AND JOIN IN OUR JOURNEY

TO ALWAYS BE GOOD AND KIND

SUCH A HAPPIER PLACE

THIS WORLD WOULD BE

OH, WOULDN’T IT BE FINE

It is my pleasure to recommend this musical to schools, teachers, and home school parents.

 Jane Tesh  

www.janetesh.com/

Joni Klein-Higger

www.joniworld.com/

 

Available from:

http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/lost-socks.htm